Queer Cafe

List: Notable Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People

LGBTQ Writers, Artists and Activists of the 80s and 90s

Celebrating LGBTQ Trailblazers

Video List: Top Ten Most Influential LGBTQ Celebrities

Famous LGBTQ People

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people have existed in every time period in history, in every culture, in every segment of society, in every walk of life. They are represented in every race, religion, and political affiliation. LGBTQ people are active in their communities. They serve in important leadership roles. They are leaders, teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, musicians, and artists. They have made, and continue to make, great contributions in all areas of society, including literature, the arts, entertainment, athletics, religion, education, business, finance, law, science, technology, medicine, government, politics, and the military.

Ancient Times

Plato - Greek Philosopher

Socrates - Greek Philosopher
Sappho - Greek Woman Poet
Aristotle - Greek Philosopher

Classics

Michelangelo - Italian Artist
Leonardo Da Vinci - Italian Artist and Scientist
Christopher Marlowe - British Playwright

Virgil - Roman Poet

Rulers

Alexander the Great - Macedonian Ruler
Peter the Great - Russian Czar
Frederick the Great - King of Prussia

Hadrian - Roman Emperor

David - King of Israel

Writers | Authors

Francis Bacon - British Statesman, Author
TE Lawrence - British Soldier, Author
Lord Byron - English Poet
Walt Whitman - US Poet, Author
Oscar Wilde - Irish Author
Marcel Proust - French Author, Essayist
Gertrude Stein - US Poet, Author
Alice B Toklas - US Author
James Baldwin - US Author
Herman Melville - US Author
Willa Cather - US Author
Langston Hughes - US Author
EM Forster - British Author

Lorraine Hansberry - US Author (Raisin in the Sun)
Hans Christian Andersen - Danish Author
Ralph Waldo Emerson - US Author

Alice Walker - US Writer (The Color Purple)
Virginia Woolf - English Author
Tennessee Williams - US Playwright
Rainer Maria Rilke - German Poet
Edward Albee - US Playwright
Armistead Maupin - US Writer
Rita Mae Brown - US Novelist

Mary Oliver - US Poet
Gore Vidal - US Novelist
Allen Ginsberg - US Poet
WH Auden - English Poet
Truman Capote - US Writer
Maurice Sendak - US Writer
PL Travers - British Writer (Mary Poppins)

Ursula K. LeGuin - US Author

Oliver Sacks - British Writer (Awakenings)

Famous LGBTQ People: Queer Historical Icons
Historic LGBTQ Figures Who Changed the World
Celebrities You Might Not Know are LGTBQ
People in History You Didn't Know Were Queer
LGBTQ People Who Changed the World
Historical Figures You Didn't Know Were Queer
Well-Known Historical Figures You Didn't Know Were LGBTQ
Celebrities Who Came Out As LGBTQ
LGBTQ Activists You Should Know

Musicians

Katherine Lee Bates - US Songwriter (America the Beautiful)
Cole Porter - US Composer
Leonard Bernstein - US Composer
Peter Tchaikovsky - Russian Composer (Nutcracker Suite)
Dave Koz - US Jazz Musician
Melissa Etheridge - US Rock Star
Amy Ray & Emily Saliers - US Musicians (Indigo Girls)
Elton John - British Rock Star
Janis Joplin - US Singer
George Michael - British Pop Star
Boy George - British Pop Star
David Bowie - British Musician

Little Richard- US Rock n Roll Musician

Ani DiFranco - US Musician
Brian Epstein - English Manager for the Beatles
David Geffen - US Music Producer
Brandon Stansell - US Musician (Country Music)

Liberace - US Pianist, Entertainer
Michael Stipe - US Rock Star (Lead Singer of REM)
Joan Baez - US Folk Musician
Mario Jose - US Pop Star

Cameron Hawthorn - US Musician (Country Music)

Sam Smith - US Musician

Janelle Monae - US R&B Pop Star

Todrick Hall - US R&B Pop Star

Sylvester - US Disco Pop Star

Brendon Urie - US Musician

Mary Lambert - US Musician

Kim Petras - German Pop Star

Alyson Stoner - US Pop Star

Ty Herndon - US Musician (Country Music)

Troye Sivan - US Pop Star

Adam Lambert - US Pop Star (American Idol)

Hayley Kiyoko - US Pop Star

Tracy Chapman - US Musician
KD Lang - US Musician
Rufus Wainwright - US Musician
Lil Naz X - US Musician (Country Music)

Lance Bass - US Pop Star (N'Sync)
Brandi Carlisle - US Musician
Clay Aiken - US Musician (American Idol)
Chely Wright - US Musician (Country Music)
Ricky Martin - US Pop Star

Barry Manilow - US Pop Star

Artists | Dancers

Rudolf Nuryev - Russian Ballet Dancer
Andy Warhol - US Artist
Keith Haring - US Painter

Grant Wood - US Painter (American Gothic)
Annie Leibovitz - US Photographer
Tommy Tune - US Tap Dancer, Broadway Star
Frida Kahlo - Mexican Painter
Robert Mapplethorpe - US Photographer
Gilbert Baker - Politician, Artist, Creator of Original Rainbow Flag

Josephine Baker - US Dancer
Isadora Duncan - US Dancer
Bronislava Nijinska - Russian Dancer
Vaslav Nijinsky - Russian Dancer

Kehinde Wiley - US Artist, Painter of President Obama Portrait

Fashion Designers

Giorgio Armani - Italian Fashion Designer
Pierre Cardin - French/Italian Fashion Designer
Isaac Mizrahi - US Fashion Designer
Nate Berkus - US Interior Designer

Christian Dior - French Fashion Designer
Domenico Dolce - Italian Fashion Designer
Stefano Gabbana - Italian Fashion Designer
Perry Ellis - US Fashion Designer
Karl Lagerfeld - German Fashion Designer
Halston - US Fashion designer

Thierry Mugler - French Fashion Designer
Isaac Mizrahi - US Fashion Designer
Yves Saint Laurent - French Fashion Designer
André Leon Talley - US Fashion Editor
Gianni Versace - Italian Fashion Designer

Celebrating LGBTQ Trailblazers

LGBTQ Writers, Artists and Activists of the 80s and 90s

Video List: Top Ten Most Influential LGBTQ Celebrities

Gay Kings and Queens of Europe

Business | Economics | Finance

Tim Cook - CEO, Apple Computers

John Browne - CEO, BP Oil

Beth Ford - CEO, Land O' Lakes

Alan Joyce - CEO, Qantas Airlines

Robert Hanson - CEO, American Eagle Outfitters

Liat Ben-Zur - Corporate VP of Microsoft

Inga Beale - CEO, Lloyd's of London

Joseph Evangelisti - CEO, JP Morgan Chase

Antonio Simoes - CEO, HSBC Bank

Chris Hughes - Co-Founder, Facebook

Peter Thiel - Co-Founder, PayPal

Louis Vega - Senior Executive, Dow Chemical

Alex Schultz - VP, Facebook

Claudia Brind-Woody - VP, IBM

Beth Brook-Marciniak - VP, Ernst & Young

Deirdre McCloskey - Economics Professor

John Maynard Keynes - Economist

Suze Orman - Financial Expert

David Rae - Financial Expert

Government | Politics

Maura Healey - Massachusetts Governor

Pete Buttigieg - South Bend, Indiana Mayor, Presidential Candidate

Kate Brown - Oregon Governor

Eleanor Roosevelt - US First Lady
Barbara Jordan - US Congresswoman

Harvey Milk - US Politician
Roberta Achtenburg - US Politician
Barney Frank - US Congressman (MA)
Gerry Studds - US Congressman (MA)
Steve Gunderson - US Congressman (WI)
J Edgar Hoover - US Director of the FBI
Dag Hammerskjold - Swedish UN Secretary
Patricia Todd - Alabama Legislator
Tammy Baldwin - US Congresswomen (WI)
Deval Patrick - Massachusetts Governor

Jim Kolbe - US Congressman (AZ)
Jared Polis - US Congressman (CO)
Mark Takano - US Congressman (CA)
Jim McGreevey - New Jersey Governor
Sam Adams - Portland OR Mayor
Annise Parker - Houston TX Mayor

Lori Lightfoot - Chicago IL Mayor
David Cicilline - Providence RI Mayor
David Young - Judge

James Buchanan - US President

William Rufus King - US Vice President

Religion

Gene Robinson - Episcopal Bishop
Mel White - President, Founder of SoulForce

Goddess Kennedy - Activist Minister, Stonewall Vets Chaplain

Denise Eger - Reformed Jewish Rabbi

James Cleveland - Minister, Gospel Singer

Troy Perry - Founder of Metropolitan Community Church

Elizabeth Edman - Episcopal Priest

Horace Griffin - Episcopal Priest, Theologian

Deon Kevin Johnson - Episcopal Bishop

Father Mychal Judge - Catholic Priest, NYC, Sept 11 Hero

Peter J Gomes - Theologian

Dwayne Johnson - Metropolitan Community Church, Wash DC

Zachary Jones - Bishop
Carl Bean - Archbishop

LGBTQ Activists You Should Know

LGBTQ Writers, Artists and Activists of the 80s and 90s

Video List: Top Ten Most Influential LGBTQ Celebrities

Famous LGBTQ People: Queer Historical Icons
Historic LGBTQ Figures Who Changed the World
Celebrities You Might Not Know are LGTBQ
People in History You Didn't Know Were Queer
LGBTQ People Who Changed the World
Historical Figures You Didn't Know Were Queer
LGBTQ Activists You Should Know

Activists

Harvey Milk - US Gay Rights Activist
Frank Kameny - Grandfather of US Gay Rights Movement
Bayard Rustin - US Civil Rights Activist w MLK
Angela Davis - US Political Activist
Larry Kramer - US Playwright and AIDS Activist
Cleve Jones - US LGBTQ and AIDS Activist, Founder of AIDS Quilt
Candace Gingrich - US Gay Rights Activist
Kate Kendell - NCLR Executive Director
Ruth Ellis - US Civil Rights Activist
Barbara Gittings - US Gay Rights Activist
Kate Bornstein - US Writer and Activist
Susan B Anthony - US Women's Suffrage Activist
Sarah McBride - US Trans Rights Activist
Jazz Jennings - US Trans Rights Activist
David Kato Kisule - US Teacher, Human Rights Activist
George Bellinger Jr - US AIDS Activist
Edwin Chiloba - African LGBTQ Rights Activist (Kenya)
Marsha P Johnson - Stonewall Rebellion Activist
Sylvia Rivera - Stonewall Rebellion Activist
Alicia Garza - Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter

Police | Fire | Rescue

Laurel Hester - Lieutenant, New Jersey State Police Department

Michele Fitzsimmons - Battalion Chief, New York City Fire Department

Mary Boyle - Officer, Chicago Police Department

Shannon Bennett - Deputy Sheriff, Broward County, Florida

Brooke Guinan - Firefighter, New York City Fire Department

Charles Henry “Charlie” Cochrane Jr - Sergeant, NYC Police Dept
Nick Couch - Firefighter, England

Kristin Crowley - Fire Chief, Los Angeles Fire Department

Anare Holmes - Firefighter, Atlanta Fire & Rescue

Janee Harteau - Police Chief, Minneapolis

Mack Bond - Firefighter, Memphis Fire Department

Anne Young - Lieutenant, San Francisco Fire Department

Charmaine McGuffey - Sheriff, Hamilton County, Ohio

Anaré Holmes - Firefighter, Atlanta Fire Rescue

Dorothy Knudson - Officer, Chicago Police Department

Ryan Randall Coffey - Firefighter, Everett (Washington) Fire Department

Keith Baraka - Firefighter, San Francisco Fire Department

Charles H Cochrane Jr - Sergeant, New York City Police Department

Bonnie Beers - Battalion Chief, Seattle Fire Department

Sue Sasso - Officer, Chicago Police Department

Gina Sweat - Fire Chief, Memphis Fire Department

James Tracy - Lieutenant, Englewood Cliffs Police Department (NJ)

Sharon Bretz - Fire Commissioner, San Francisco

Lance Garland - Firefighter, Seattle Fire Department

Karen Conway - Officer, Chicago Police Department

Well-Known Historical Figures You Didn't Know Were LGBTQ

Military

Tammy Smith - US Army General
Reichen Lehmkuhl - US Air Force Officer
Pete Buttigieg - US Navy Officer

Joseph Rocha - US Navy and Marine Corp

Gary Ross - US Navy Officer
Jody Davis - US Army RN

Dan Choi - US Army Officer

Alan Rogers - US Army Officer

Kristin Beck - US Navy Seal

Patricia Rose - US Air Force Officer

Frank Kameny - US Army

Harvey Milk - US Navy Officer

Dana Zzyym - US Navy

Chelsea Manning - US Army

Catherine McGregor - Australian Army & Air Force Officer

Baron Friedrich von Steuben - US Revolutionary War Hero

Sports | Athletes

Martina Navratilova - US Tennis Player
Greg Louganis - US Olympic Swimmer
Billie Jean King - US Tennis Player
Sheryl Swoopes - US WNBA Basketball Player
Jason Collins - US NBA Basketball Player
Michael Sam - US NFL Football Player
Megan Rapinoe - US Women's Soccer Player

Erica Sullivan - US Olympic Swimmer

Katie Sowers - US NFL Football Coach

Brian Boitano - US Olympic Figure Skater

Mark Bingham - US Rugby Player, Sept 11 Hero
Esera Tuaolo - US NFL Football Player
John Amaechi - US NBA Basketball Player
Orlando Cruz - Puerto Rican Boxer
Elena Delle Donne - US WNBA Basketball Player

Tom Daily - British Olympic Diver
Brittany Griner - US WNBA Basketball Player
Abby Wamback - Olympic Soccer Player
Belle Brockhoff - US Olympic Snowboarder
Caitlyn Jenner - US Olympic Runner

Adam Rippon - US Olympic Skater

Gus Kenworthy - US Olympic Skier

Clay Davies - British Cyclist

Celebrating LGBTQ Trailblazers

LGBTQ Writers, Artists and Activists of the 80s and 90s

Video List: Top Ten Most Influential LGBTQ Celebrities

Well-Known Historical Figures You Didn't Know Were LGBTQ

Science | Research

Alfred Kinsey - Researcher, Father of Sexology
Magnus Hirschfeld - German Physician, Sexologist
Alan Turing - British Mathematician
Michael Foucault - French Philosopher, Sociologist, Educator
Deirdre McCloskey - Economist, Economic Historian
Sally Ride - American Physicist, Astronaut

Lynn Conway - American Professor of Engineering & Computer Science

Allan Cox - American Geophysicist

Neil Divine - American Astrophysicist

Jim Pollack - American Astrophysicist

Benjamin Banneker - American Mathematician

Oliver Sacks - British Neurologist, Author

Bruce Voeller - American Biologist, AIDS Researcher

Deirdre Downs - American Physician, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Joseph Costa - America Physician, ICU Chief, Baltimore Mercy Hospital

Rachel Levine - American Physician, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health

Michael Botticelli - American Public Health Official

News | Media

Rachel Maddow - US News Commentator (MSNBC)
Anderson Cooper - US Newscaster (CNN)
Michael Musto - US Journalist (Village Voice)

Don Lemon - US News Anchor (CNN)
Sam Champion - US TV Weatherman (Good Morning America)
Robin Roberts - US Talk Show Host (Good Morning America)

Graham Norton - British Talk Show Host (BBC)
Stephanie Miller - US Talk Show Host
Janet Mock - US Magazine Editor (People)
Shepard Smith - US Newscaster (FOX News)

Thomas Roberts US News Anchor (CNN, MSNBC)

Ari Shapiro - US Radio Newscaster (NPR News)

Andy Cohen - US Talk Show Host

Jenna Wolfe - US TV Journalist (Today Show)

Lilly Singh - Indian-Canadian Comedian and Talk Show Host

Jann Wenner - US Magazine Editor (Rolling Stone)

Gio Benitez - US Journalist (Good Morning America)

Yair Cherki - Israeli TV Reporter

Actors | Entertainers | Filmmakers

James Dean - US Film Actor
Montgomery Clift - US Film Actor
Rock Hudson - US Film Actor
Tab Hunter - US Film Actor
Merv Griffin - US TV Personality, Producer

Joel Grey - US Actor, Singer, Dancer

Ellen Degeneres - US Actor, Comedian
Lily Tomlin - US Actor, Comedian
BD Wong - US Actor
Margaret Cho - US Comedian
Rosie O'Donnell - US Comedian, Actor
Suzanne Westenhofer - US Comedian
Sandra Bernhardt - US Comedian, Actress
Siegfried and Roy - US Entertainers, Animal Tamers
Dick Sargent - US Television Actor (2nd Darrin on Bewitched)
Robert Reed - US Television Actor (Mike Brady on Brady Bunch)

Joel Schumacher - Film Director (St Elmo's Fire, Lost Boys, Batman)

Joe Exotic (Tiger King)

Jerrod Carmichael - Comedian

John Waters - US Film Maker
Portia de Rossi - US Television Actor
Jodie Foster - US Film Actor, Director
Rupert Everett - British Actor
David Hyde Pierce - US Television Actor
Graham Chapman - British Actor (Monty Python)
Richard Chamberlain - US Actor
George Takei - US Actor (Star Trek)
Cynthia Nixon - US Television Actor (Sex And The City)
Neil Patrick Harris - US TV Actor (Doogie Howser, How I Met Your Mother)
Wanda Sykes - US Comedian, Actor
Cherry Jones - US Actor

Nathan Lane - US TV, Movie, Stage Actor

Jake Choi - US TV Actor

Dan Levy - US TV Actor, Director (Schitt's Creek)

Janelle Monae - US Singer, Movie Actor (Hidden Figures, Moonlight)

Andrew Rannells - US Stage Actor, TV Actor

Lee Pace - US Movie Actor (Hobbit, Pushing Daisies)

Leslie Jordan - US TV and Film Actor (Will & Grace, Sordid Lives, Southern Baptist Sissies)

Queen Latifah - US Musician, Movie Actor (Chicago, Ice Age, Barber Shop, Bessie)

Meredith Baxter - US Television Actor (Family Ties)
Kelly McGillis - US Movie Actor
John Barrowman - British Actor
Kristy McNichol - US Movie, TV Actor
Lindsey Lohan - US Movie Actor
Chris Colfer - US Television Actor (Glee)
Jim Parsons - US Television Actor (Big Bang Theory)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - US Television Actor (Modern Family)

Doug Spearman - US Film Actor
Heather Peace - British Actor, Singer, Songwriter
Gillian Anderson - US TV Actor (X Files)
Victor Garber - US Movie Actor (Argo, Titanic, Godspell)
Jim Nabors - US TV Actor (Andy Griffith, Gomer Pyle)
Raven Symone - US TV Actor (Cosby Show)
Elliot Page - US Movie Actor (Juno)
Laverne Cox - US TV Actor (Orange is the New Black)

Kristen Stewart - US Film Actor (Twilight)

Cara Delevigne - Actor, Model

Billy Porter - US TV Actor (Pose)

LGBTQ Writers, Artists and Activists of the 80s and 90s

Video List: Top Ten Most Influential LGBTQ Celebrities